Australia leaves Kiwis out in the cold

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John Key, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, left, and Tony Abbott, the Australian Prime MinisterSTEFAN POSTLES / GETTY IMAGES

Bernard LaganSydney

Published at 12:01AM, February 7 2014

They share a colonial heritage, have fought wars side by side and their flags — if not their people — are often indistinguishable, to inhabitants of the northern hemisphere at least.

Now, however, Australia’s policy of denying welfare benefits to hundreds of thousands of Kiwis who have moved there is about to strain relations between the neighbours.

Australian rules say that New Zealanders who cross the 1,900km (1,200 miles) of sea that separates the two countries should not have access to welfare, including unemployment benefits and assistance for their children’s university education. The policy has been in place for several years but